Coral Reef Conservation: A Reef of Your Own

This web-based lesson focuses on the physiological, ecological, and behavioral strategies that contribute to the success of reef-building corals. Students will learn to describe and explain the importance of asexual and sexual reproductive strategies to reef-building corals, why it is important that the corals have a nutritional strategy that includes both photosynthesis and carnivory, two behaviors that they use to compete for living space with other species, and how coral reefs can produce high levels of biological material when the waters surround­ing them contain relatively small amounts of the nutri­ents normally needed to support biological production. Links to the required online resources are provided. Educational levels: High school, Middle school, Undergraduate lower division

Coastal Ecosystem Science: Getting Thirsty?

This lesson is designed to help students understand what causes droughts and how they affect coastal ecosystems and human communities. As a result of these activities students will be able to define drought and explain how drought conditions may affect coastal ecosystems, discuss how drought conditions correlate with water temperature changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and use various data sources to investigate streamflow and drought conditions in selected locations. This site provides required worksheets and links to complete the lesson. Educational levels: High school, Middle school

Coastal Ecosystem Science: Alien Invasion!

This lesson introduces students to the broad concept of invasive species. Students prepare a written case study on an invasive aquatic species, followed by an oral presentation. They will define, compare, and contrast invasive species, alien species, and native species, describe at least three problems that may be associated with invasive species, and describe at least three invasive species, explain how they came to be invasive, and discuss what can be done about them. The lesson plan provides a list of possible species to choose from, and information about their introduction, impact, and control. Suggestions for extensions are also provided. Educational levels: High school, Middle school, Undergraduate lower division

When will we learn: key factors and potential barriers

The overall aim of this research was to improve the dissemination of Lessons Learned in construction projects so that contractors’ project teams have access to the most relevant lessons at the most appropriate time, in the most appropriate format. The outcome of the research aimed to provide (1) an understanding of the different systems and tools used for recording Lessons Learned amongst major construction contractors; (2) an understanding of the needs in terms of what sort of lessons are required, the level of detail required and how best these should be made available; and (3) an approach on how best to disseminate Lessons Learned. The key objectives of the research were to: 1. Investigate current practice for recording and disseminating Lessons Learned; 2. Identify potential barriers for successfully disseminating Lessons Learned; and 3. Identify key factors affecting company processes to encourage a more systematic dissemination of Lessons Learned. The study was conducted in three phases. The first investigated contractors’ current practices for recording and disseminating Lessons Learned through a questionnaire survey. The second phase identified key factors that would encourage the institutionalisation of Lessons Learned and also the factors that inhibit their use. The third phase examined how current processes could be adapted to develop a process that would embed the systematic dissemination of Lessons Learned within an organisation’s existing practices. This report focuses on the second stage of the project that identified from the end users those factors that would encourage the institutionalisation of Lessons Learned and also the factors that inhibit their use of Lessons Learned

Caution: Do Not Bleach!

In this lesson, students will investigate the importance of coral reefs to the Earth as a whole and learn some possible explanations for the phenomenon known as "coral bleaching". They should be able to identify ways that coral reefs benefit human beings, identify major threats to reefs and discuss how they might be reduced or eliminated, describe the Coral Reef Early Warning System, and discuss why corals might expel their zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) when under stress. Educational levels: High school, Middle school, Undergraduate lower division

Teachers’ perceptions of lessons using computer assisted language learning

The present study was designed to investigate the teachers’ perceptions of CALL lessons. The objectives of this study are to find out the problems faced by the teachers when conducting CALL lessons, to identify the perceptions teachers have on such lessons and also to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the lessons using CALL on students. Questionnaires were distributed to 16 teachers who are currently teaching English at secondary schools in Johor Bahru. The data collected were analyzed using qualitative data. The problems identified in using CALL lessons were problems with facilities and problems with teachers’ attitudes. However, teachers had positive perceptions of CALL lessons as it helps teachers to attract students’ attention in the classroom and CALL lessons promote enhanced language acquisition

LESSONS

I am learning through these lessons. The following document includes my convoluted musings about my work, making process, and body leading up to my thesis exhibition, Avoidance Kitchen. My struggle with my reflected image comes from my struggle with my self-perceived physical image. What does it mean for a piece to disappear, only to find the reflection of someone else\u27s work or body in its place? Is my craft rendered obsolete if all you want to do is take a funny selfie? Is my work unacknowledged if all you see is the sculpture across the room, in reverse? What happens when an object or installation is elevated and ignored within the same space

The Crisis: Policy Lessons and Policy Challenges

Bruegel Director Jean Pisani-Ferry, with Agnès Bénassy-Quéré (CEPII, University Paris-Ouest and Ecole Polytechnique, Paris), Benoît Coeuré (Ecole Polytechnique, Paris) and Pierre Jacquet (ENPC, Paris, and Agence Française de Développement) provide an in-depth analysis of the financial crisis. The authors review the main causes of the crisis, pointing to three different, non-mutually exclusive lines of explanation: wrong incentives in the financial sector, unsustainable macroeconomic outcomes, and misunderstood and mismanaged systemic complexity. They also discuss supervisory and regulatory reform going forward, including an examination of the issues of moral hazard, the separation of retail and investment banking, the desirable size of financial institutions, risk management, the role of central banks, and other issues. This working paper was previously published as CEPII (Centre d'études prospectives et d'informations internationales) working document 2009-28.

Demographic shocks: the view from history: discussion

Massimo Livi-Bacci has taken us on a fascinating tour of demographic history. What lessons for developments in the world today can we draw from the story he tells? I will distinguish between three types of lessons, which I call "economic lessons," "demographic lessons," and "cultural/political lessons."Demography ; Economic conditions

Lessons from resurgent cities

In 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston began a project to help reinvigorate the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. This cross-departmental initiative uses the Boston Fed's research and convening capabilities to complement the efforts of other organizations dedicated to improving economic and social conditions in New England's fourth-largest city. As noted in an earlier joint Federal Reserve-Brookings Institution study, Springfield has one of the highest rates of concentrated poverty in the country: one-third of the city's poor live in neighborhoods where poverty rates exceed 40 percent. Thus, a particular focus of the Boston Fed project has been to support revitalization strategies that would enable more city residents, particularly those located in poor areas, to prosper. While the Boston Fed project focuses on the city of Springfield, we hope to devise approaches that can be replicated in other struggling mid-sized cites around New England and the nation. To this end, this essay reports on lessons learned from our research on older industrial cities that have adapted relatively well to economic challenges, and are recognized as vital communities today. We believe these "resurgent cities" provide relevant, inspiring insights on development strategies for urban America.Cities and towns ; Cities and towns - Massachusetts ; Economic conditions ; Economic conditions - Massachusetts ; Economic policy ; Economic policy - Massachusetts